


Raging Storm

by ShadowMoon2430



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 01:18:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9297824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowMoon2430/pseuds/ShadowMoon2430
Summary: For the past several centuries, Lahela has watched the world slowly change. Unexpectedly, the bitter goddess finds herself aiding Moana and Maui in the quest to return Te Fiti's heart.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I had in my mind a while ago. I began posting it elsewhere so you may have seen it online before. I just recently decided to post on here.

Life constantly changed. Humans constantly adapted. For Lahela though, she hardly noticed. Time was a relative thing to the goddess. It had been centuries since she last actively watched over them. There seemed little point to her. Despite all that was thrown at those mortal beings, they kept going. It was clear to her that protection and divine assistance was not needed. She would leave that role to the others.  
She had other preferences, such as testing their will and strength. Great storms raged against islands simply for her own enjoyment. Lahela, as a goddess, was more feared by humans than worshiped by them. At least by those who knew her name. When terrible storms passed through, elders would often mention her name, reminding the younger generation to appease her to gain good weather. It was a practice that she once participated in. She took a more passive route when it came to her followers now.  
This shift had gone noticed by the humans, many often questioning why there was such a change. An answer was never received though. Only she knew why.  
Some years passed before she found herself in a new routine. As always, she would watch over the islands and walk among them when she desired, but she always kept a distance from the humans. Something else lingered in the back of her mind. The fate of Te Fiti. It did not take long to hear about Maui’s actions and the consequences that followed. With the demigod nowhere to be found to right his mistakes, Lahela took it upon herself to keep an eye on Te Kā and the darkness that was looming over the world. It was hard to believe Maui could have caused so much trouble.  
That was not something she tried to dwell on, however. She had enough spite for the demigod to last her lifetime, and that spite tended to be received by others. The ocean was one of those. The heart of Te Fiti was lost, most likely at the bottom of the ocean, and the ocean was doing nothing. How could anyone be expected to get Maui to return Te Fiti’s heart if neither could be reached. She did not like the ocean and it was something she voiced often. Her storms at sea often were blamed on the ocean and she loved hearing such words from the humans.  
As far as anyone was concerned, Lahela was an observer. That would soon be changing though. Humans were not the only ones changing and adapting. Everything gave in to time eventually.


	2. Chapter 2

Brown eyes traced over the members of the village with a scrutinizing gaze. The human village buzzed with people talking and working. It seemed like every other village Lahela has glanced at through her years of traveling. There was something special here though. She just wasn't sure what it was. The ocean had been adamant about her stopping at this island for some reason. She was curious to find out why, though she worried her time was being wasted. After all, she had spent so much time harassing the ocean that she would not be surprised if she was here on a wild goose chase.

Despite the thoughts, she shook her head lightly before pushing her crimson hair out of her face. If she was patient, she would find her answer. Weeks passed though without answer. Adults working, children playing, teaching and building the constant cycle, but nothing appeared to be important in her eyes.

The goddess glared out at the ocean as she sat on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the village and shore. This waiting game was getting ridiculous! What was she becoming. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips before she turned her eyes towards the shore. A curious look soon crossed her features though. A small child was wandering over the sand, giggling as their eyes took in everything.

"I've been waiting on a toddler," the goddess mumbled, glancing at the ocean once more. Not waiting for a reply, she jumped from the cliff and eased out of her fall with a roll onto the sand. She pushed herself back up and walked with quiet steps. She wasn't concerned if the child saw her or not, she had only one goal and that was to get a closer look at what was unfolding.

A shell gently brushed onto the shore. She could see that the little girl wanted it but she surprised the goddess when she selflessly turned away from it to aid a baby turtle as it tried to reach the sea instead.

Lahela watched the scene continue to unfold in silence. The ocean truly believed this girl could return the heart? At least she knew her annoyance was justified now. She couldn't believe the ocean kept that thing hidden for so long! Surely someone else before this girl would have been capable of doing the job as well.

She would just have to see for herself.

* * *

The redhead watched in amusement as the young girl made her way through the trees. Lahela picked her spot carefully when she had settled on the island for the wait. Villagers never came here due to its past use as a religious ground. Very few would venture here, and she always knew when they set off to come here. Children were kept mostly inside the village as well. A dense maze of trees had to be traveled through to reach her. Yet here she was, the young chosen one, Moana as she had learned over the past couple years, wandering through the trees without a care in the world.

The platforms she currently sat on, stacked ages ago to create the temple, were already covered by moss and the touch of it worn down by the weather. Her spot above it all gave her a view of anyone that walked through. Though someone might catch a glimpse of her as well, it was unlikely that they would be looking up if they wished to make it through what was left of the forgotten path.

That is why she had time to watch as Moana made her way towards her, stumbling along the way, but pushing on anyway.

As Lahela jumped down in a graceful movement, Moana burst through the trees with a giggle. Her laughter faded as a look of awe took over her face as she looked over the area that lied before her. That's when she spotted Lahela walking down from the temple.

The look Lahela was given was one she knew well. Children still looked at things that were different with curiosity rather than distrust. Walking around anywhere without at least altering the appearance of her hair tended to catch people's eyes.

"Who are you?" The simple question made the goddess smile as she shook her head.

"Lahela," was her simple answer, waiting for the girl to go on.

Moana tilted her head before she grinned as she ran forward to get closer to the stranger. "I'm Moana! Do you live here? I've never seen you in the village before."

Lahela moved the last few feet between them before she crouched down in front of the girl. "That's because I don't live there. Can you keep a secret for me though? Don't tell anyone you came here. This is a sacred place and I would hate for you to get into trouble."

It was a simple enough reason, though not exactly true on Lahela's part. She could tolerate children, chosen or not. She would be keeping her eyes on this girl for years to come though. The last thing she needed was for Moana to constantly be coming here. She was not moving from this area and this girl would not ruin that plan.

As Moana's eyes widened, the goddess knew she understood her message. "But why don't…"

Before Moana could finish her question, Lahela raised a finger to her lips silencing the girl. "Those are my little secrets. Maybe you'll find out someday. You best head back though. You are far too young to be out this deep. Until next time." She didn't wait for a response as she spun the girl around and pushed her towards the path she had just come up. With no eyes on her, she snapped her fingers as she summoned a bolt of lightning.

Startled by the sound, Moana let out a scream as she turned around only to see the spot Lahela had been standing at empty. She called out the goddess' name but after no reply, continued back towards the village.

Silence continued for multiple minutes before Lahela moved out from behind the temple with a smirk on her face. While she didn't often use that trick, it was a fun way to startle people. Moana would have questions and if she was lucky, perhaps someone would be able to give her answers. If Lahela was going to be stuck there for a while, she could at least entertain herself.


	3. Chapter 3

After several hours at sea, Moana and Lahela found themselves in somewhat of a routine. Moana tried to sail, rather poorly in Lahela's opinion, and Lahela entertained herself by watching. After the hundredth laugh heard from the goddess however, Moana threw down the rope she had been trying to fix.

"Instead of laughing, why don't you help? You did say you were coming to help me," Moana stated as she stared her down with hands on her hips.

The laugh from the goddess was not the response she wanted however.

Lahela grinned at Moana's annoyance. "Someone wasn't listening very well. I said I might help you, and I never said what I would be helping you with. I'm perfectly fine relaxing here, thank you very much."

"Some goddess you are," Moana mumbled before speaking up again. "Gramma said you used to travel between islands. So you must know how to sail. If you didn't need to, I doubt you'd still be sitting here with me."

Lahela leaned forward before replying. "I know what you're trying to do… I'm not helping."

Moana opened her mouth to reply but paused when she heard a sound that certainly didn't belong in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by nothing.

Both paused as they listened again for the sound, hearing the sound of thudding coming from the storage section of the boat.

"What did you pack, exactly?" Lahela asked with skepticism as she eyed the section but not moving from her position.

"Nothing that should be moving…" Moana trailed off as she stepped closer. She paused for a moment, oar in hand as she looked to Lahela, hoping she would at least assist if needed. A second later, she opened the hatch only to spot a familiar rooster, with a bowl over it's head, that most certainly should not have been onboard. "Heihei?"

Lahela stared dumbfounded at the sight. "How in the world did the rooster get here?"

Moana scooped him up and set him on deck. "No idea." She proceeded to take the bowl off his head. A moment passed in silence, watching the rooster stare at nothing before something finally clicked. Then the screaming started.

The goddess clenched her hands as the rooster grated on her nerves. Moana quickly put the bowl back over his head, silencing him. It lasted but a second before she removed it again only for the screaming to continue again.

"Quiet that thing down before I do and turn it into fried chicken," Lahela snarled, already eying the rooster with disdain.

Moana looked at her wide eyed before putting the bowl on his head again. "Give me one minute." The next time she took the bowl away, she managed to get Heihei to calm down to Lahela's amazement.

Within the same span of time, that amazement vanished. One second Heihei was there, next he was face down in the water, drifting away.

"Your bird is hopeless."

A few mishaps later, Heihei was safely stored amongst their items and they were back to their main mission of sailing.

A silence settled over them once again as they made their way towards Maui. This time however, Lahela decided to be slightly more helpful. If she noticed they were starting to veer off course, she would remind the girl which way they should be heading. It wasn't great, but it was an improvement.

With the new rhythm set, Lahela focused less on Moana's sailing. She sat with her back to her, one foot propped up as the other trailed along the top of the water. It had been so long since she had been on the water. She couldn't even remember a time she had spent time on the water with someone either. Her life was rather solitary. The only companion she could really say she had around in the last couple thousand years would be the ocean. Even then, it was hardly a companion. She and the ocean rarely saw eye to eye, if one could even say that about a body of water that had no form of verbal communication.

From behind her, she could hear Moana repetitively practicing what she would say to Maui, changing her enunciation and tone, hoping to find the most convincing delivery of her line. It was amusing. She could only imagine how any of them, god or demigod, would respond to some random human demanding that they do something.

The day continued on. Moana recited words and Lahela kept an eye on the sky, watching their progress. In little time at all, the last rays of day disappeared as the stars and moon traded places with the sun.

"Lahela?"

The goddess turned partially from her spot to look at Moana in question.

"There's something I've been wondering about," she hesitated between her words, unsure of her question. "The times I met you before, you never came across as someone… Well, someone who would help me find Maui and Te Fiti. Why are you?"

"I've been asking myself a variation of that question for fifteen years." Lahela looked down as she ran her hand through the ocean passing underneath them. "The ocean made me come to your island. I think I stayed simply because I was curious. You were special, chosen, and I couldn't figure out why."

Moana fastened the sails so they would hold on their own before sitting down beside Lahela. "You came because the ocean chose you as well?"

"Not quite, the ocean can't _choose_ me. I already have a job I'm supposed to do." She turned away from Moana then, looking out along the horizon instead. "After the heart was lost, islands started to die one at a time. I've watched this darkness take hold before. And I have seen Te Kā. As far as I know, none of the other gods concern themselves with what is going on so I've been monitoring it. I'm ready for it to be over."

Her words left Moana speechless as she looked at the goddess. She acted human at times but that moment reminded her just who she was dealing with. "I suppose watching the world die would be a harder job than causing storms," she replied weakly.

"Exactly! _That_ is why I'm helping you find Maui," Lahela emphasized, suddenly showing an aggravation she had kept in check for years now. "If that stupid demigod hadn't made a mess of things and vanished then I wouldn't have had to keep an eye on it. You can use whatever words you want in order to convince him but I'll drag him there if I have to. He has no clue what is coming for him."

"And that's why you came." Moana pushed her hair back as a stronger breeze started rolling through. She glanced towards the sky as she noticed the sky slowly darkening. The change seemed unexpected. It was only after she looked back at Lahela to comment on it that she realized why it might have changed. It seemed the goddess of storms controlled them whether it was intentional or not.

Lahela looked up at the sky then as a quietness fell around them, broken only by the sound of the ocean and wind. Within the last few hours, she surprisingly was starting to get used to being around Moana. She couldn't push away the doubt she had been carrying for years though. Perhaps it was time to finally test her. "There is one thing I need to know before we do much else though. Hardships are waiting for you on this trip. If I am helping, I need to know you can push through them."

Before Moana could question what she meant, Lahela silenced her with a strong gust of wind, causing the boat to veer in a new direction as it pushed against the sails.

"You will have my help if you make it," Lahela said before she fell silent and stood still as she focused her attention on the sky.

In an attempt to stop the coming disaster, Moana screamed at the goddess. "Stop it! What is the point of this?"

Lahela did not move or even falter with her attention. Eyes remained fixed on the sky as the wind continued picking up and the clouds darkened with each second. By that point, not a single star could still be seen.

Unsure what else to do, Moana did the only thing she could think of at that moment. Her goal was still the same. She had to stay on course. The last thing she needed was to become lost at sea. She moved her attention back to the sail, though with no stars to track, she could only hope that her course was true.

The first raindrop fell, then another. Moana turned her attention back to Lahela as she steeled her eyes to her. She couldn't let this get worse. Hoping this would not make matter worse, Moana took a chance and ran at the goddess, quickly covering the few feet that were between them. The next second, she was pushing the goddess though she let out a yelp when she realized she had pushed her into the rough waters.

Lahela broke the surface as she swam farther from the boat. "I'm not stopping. I said I would test you and this is your test." Things were a bit more difficult when she wasn't on solid ground, but a short swim would not stop her. Moana would just have to learn that the hard way. "Just let me do this, Ocean," Lahela said quietly as she focused on the wind and rain.

It pulled her attention away from the storm briefly, but the rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle over both girls. Moana focused on keeping the boat steady as the growing waves tried to tip it over. Lahela let the girl have her moment as she focused on stepping out of the water. With her power and compliance from the ocean, she was soon standing on the water.

Though half her focus was on keeping herself above water, Lahela quickly went back to building the storm. She had no intention of harming Moana, but this would be the least of her problems considering her path ahead. Soon, lightning filled the sky as the rain poured down all around them.

All it took was one more push between the waves and wind. The boat tipped too far, flipping over as Moana fell into the ocean. Her struggling continued as she begged the ocean to help her. To Lahela's surprise, the ocean did not aid her.

By then, the sea was the only obstacle Moana needed to face. Lahela brought her focus away from the storm. It would pass in time if she didn't assist it. She could already see the oncoming wave. There would certainly be no avoiding that for either of them.

"I suppose that will be enough," she said to the ocean. "A bit of assistance might be needed after that wave passes." She could already feel the strain of using her powers in such a manner. She would never make a habit out of standing on water. "Suppose she passes though." The goddess shrugged weakly before she let herself drop back into the ocean.

Lahela swam closer to where Moana was but didn't say a word. It was clear she wouldn't notice her as she was too focused on the fast-approaching wave. As it was upon then, both braced themselves as they were pulled with the wave and tumbled through the water.

Lahela pushed her hair out of her face as she pushed herself through the water's surface. A second later, she saw the ocean helping Moana who was unconscious. Everything seemed well enough. And even more surprising was that the boat was still in one piece, though still upside down.

The night continued in an easier pace. It was the ocean that did most of the work from that point on. Before the night was even over, a small island came into view, one Lahela was almost positive was their destination.

With the boat pushed onto the shore and Moana dropped into the sand, Lahela settled into a spot as she leaned against the boat. Morning might just come too soon for her. If there was ever another chosen one, she might just skip the test and take the ocean's word for it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was several years before the next time came. Lahela continued to keep her distance from the chief-in-training even when the girl went out of her way in trying to find her. She had no intention of getting to know the human. When it was finally time, she would test Moana. She learned what she thought she needed to know about the girl, but she as not interested in knowing her on a personal level, which is exactly what Moana wanted from Lahela.

She would always remember the second time she had let Moana find her.

The girl didn't seem like she could stay away.

Moana was already growing up to become a young lady, though she still had some years to go. More responsibilities did not keep her from wandering. Yet again, Lahela spotted her coming towards the temple even with barely a path to follow.

The goddess shook her head before walking. She supposed she could spend a brief moment with Moana again, preferably as she got her to turn around.

"Moana, you seem to wander a lot."

The unexpected voice caused the girl to jump as she stalled her steps before spotting the crimson haired figure stepping out from the trees.

"I was right! You are around here still." She paused as she looked at the goddess. "I mentioned a lady named Lahela to my grandmother before. She said you were the goddess of storms, is that true?" she questioned with wide eyes.

"Do you believe it to be true?" Lahela questioned in reply.

Moana nodded without a second thought. "I don't know, why would you be here if you were a goddess?"

Lahela smirked as she leaned against a tree. "Perhaps your grandmother is crazy then. You have a valid point."

"No!" Moana said as she shook her head with determination in her eyes. "You have to be her. Gramma Tala wouldn't say that otherwise! And you did the thing with the lightning before. It has to be true!" She paused to catch her breath as she looked up at the goddess.

A look of realization crossed her eyes then as she stepped even closer to her, looking ready to latch onto Lahela in excitement. "But if you control the weather then you can help the island when we need it! I bet there's so much you can do. Oh! You could make it rain!"

"I'm not here to play," Lahela quipped.

"Okay," she replied with a nod of acceptance before plopping herself onto the ground where she was. "Can you tell me how you ended up here? What about why Gramma said you don't answer prayers anymore? I bet you have some amazing stories. I wanna hear them all."

Lahela shook her head. "Maybe someday." Yet again, she left the girl wondering as she took off as Moana stared at her retreating form.

* * *

Lahela continued waiting and watching from a distance much to Moana's disappointment. Time let's everyone move on though and her focus eventually shifted away from the goddess. Her parents had more important things for her to work on.

During Moana's training, troubles started appearing and Lahela knew exactly what it meant.

"I understand now. It was never something on this island that would push Moana." Lahera voiced her thoughts to the ocean as she walked along the shore. "You're wrong if you think she can face this though. Maui will not help even if she can find him. There is a reason why this darkness is still spreading."

The ocean waves picked up as they crashed against Lahela's legs in response.

"You know as well as I do what she would need to face. A human cannot get past Te Kā," she snapped. "She would need to find Maui and get him to help fix this. I doubt even he could. This is just the next island to fall. If she doesn't die here, she will die out there instead."

Lahela looked out as she felt the water pull away from her feet before a larger wave pushed her inland, soaking the bottom of her blue skirt. Glancing over, she realized it was towards the village, towards Moana.

She looked back with narrowed eyes. "I am not helping. That is not my role. People do not pray to me for assistance, they pray for mercy. The story says that a human and _Maui_ are the ones to do this, not me." Having had enough, Lahela snapped her fingers, letting her lightning take her away from the shore.

Once she was away from the ocean, she took the time to think. It's why Lahela found herself pacing the grounds of the temple. The ocean could pick whoever it wanted to be the chosen one, but it certainly couldn't pick her to help. It was not her problem. Let the islands die. Easy enough. She was a goddess, she didn't need the islands to live on. She could figure out something else.

Could she really let the world go like that though? She had never been particularly fond of humans, but they weren't the worst things out there.

"I can't believe I let the ocean get to me."

Lahela huffed as she dropped down onto the lowest platform. "This has been going on long enough though. It does need to end… If Moana can prove herself, I'll help."

She looked up to the sky as she watched the first stars start to appear as the world darkened. It wasn't clear when Moana would decide to set off on this journey. Lahela was fairly certain Moana didn't even know she was chosen yet. She would just have to keep a closer eye on her until then and be ready.

* * *

The tension in the village was clear. Things had taken a hard turn and Lahela had been watching it collapse in slow motion. It seemed Moana was ready to sail the ocean despite her family rejecting the idea.

Lahela sat in the sand, eyes trailed on the ocean, sitting in silence. It was that image that greeted Moana when she made her way from the village path to the ocean shore.

"And she appears again," Moana said quietly as she walked over to the goddess. "I've never seen you this close to the village before."

"I prefer to remain unseen, but important things are happening." Lahela turned her head as she studied Moana. "You have noticed what has been happening to the island."

Moana nodded as she sat beside the other woman. "You mean with the fish leaving and the fruit dying. You know what is going on then. Please, tell me. Help my people."

Lahela let out a weak laugh at her words. "It's not that simple, Moana. You need to help your people, but I may just help you. When you have more answers and you're ready, come find me at the old temple." She stood up then, brushing the sand off her blue skirt as best she could.

"Wait!" Moana exclaimed as she pushed herself up quickly as well. "What do you mean? How am I supposed to find out answers if you never tell me anything?"

As if thinking, the redhead paused and tilted her head. "If only you knew someone that had many stories to tell." She gave a brief wave then as she turned and walked down the beach. "Good luck, Moana."

* * *

Everything seemed quieter than usual. The night has always been somewhat on the quiet side, but that night seemed almost eerie. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the life on the island had to have noticed what was happening as well. Things would soon get worse and everything would have to adapt. It wasn't just the humans that would be at a loss for food. This darkness that was eating away at the island was taking the life by breaking apart the entire system there. She had watched the begging of it before, but she would never stick around to watch the end. Lahela didn't dwell on those thoughts for long. Sooner than she had expected, the sound of running caught her attention as she saw Moana quickly making her way through the trees.

"Lahela! You said you would help. Please, help me now!" The panic was clear on her face and in her voice as it wavered.

Lahela walked up to her and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Calm down. I may be able to help but you need to talk to me first."

"My gramma, she told me. My ancestors, Maui, the heart of Te Fiti, all of it. But now…" her voice caught as tears collected in her eyes. "Help me find Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti. Then I can save my people!"

She could see the resolve in Moana's eyes as she listened to her words. It was unclear if she would be able to handle this, but nothing would get done staying there. "Alright, Moana. I'll help though you will have to prove that you can handle this journey. It's not going to be easy."

"I can do this, I have to."

With a nod of acceptance, Lahela made way with their plan. "I know where your ancestors' boats are. I will meet you there. Go to the village and get what is needed."

* * *

The fires lighting up the cave flickered over the boats that lined the edge of the water. Lahela stood with her feet in the water as she watched the waterfall cascade down. She expected Moana to get back any minute now. Something was finally going to happen, she just hoped the results would be promising.

Moana soon came through the tunnel into the opening. The second they looked at each other, they knew what they were doing. No need for words. Moana held the heart of Te Fiti in her hand as she looked at the sails they were in front of. It was clear that one was meant for the trip as the sails were marked the same as the heart. Together they quickly pushed it into the water before jumping on. And just like that, they both found themselves through the waterfall, soaking wet but ready for what was to come next.

They just needed to get past the reef. One building in the distance stood with light as they looked back towards the village before they saw it go out. The look on Moana's face was all she Lahela needed to see in order to understand that was where her grandmother had been. Lahela could feel the change. Then, as if their guiding light, a manta ray swam forward from the island and lead the way out of the reef. A final farewell for Moana that the goddess watched in silence. Even she knew when a moment was worth leaving be.


	5. Chapter 5

Lahela watched the waves roll in one after the other as the sun slowly rose in the sky. The goddess had claimed a spot at what she was currently referring to, as the top. It was hard to say considering that it was tipped over on its side.

With the night over, Lahela was ready to move on. It was just a matter of waiting for Moana to wake up. She glanced down to the pile of sand the girl was currently buried under. No doubt that she would have some choice words for the goddess once she woke up.

A groan from the sand caught her attention then. She looked down to see Moana burst from the pile of sand, Heihei right behind her as he plopped down from another pile. She stood, trying to brush off what sand she could though it looked like she was getting nowhere with it. That was when she looked over and realized the state of her boat.

"What?" She asked in confusion before turning to the ocean, stomping down to the ocean . "I said help me. And wrecking my boat? Not helping!"

She snapped as she turned around then, pointing at Lahela. "And you! You tried to kill me!"

Lahela shook her head, not very concerned about Moana's annoyance at her. "No, just tested you. It's not like you're dead."

Moana let her arm drop but still looked at her with disdain. "Did I pass your stupid test then?"

"Well…" Lahela started as she jumped down. "Not exactly, but you didn't give up either. I suppose that wave was a bit unfair as well. Honestly, I expected the ocean to help you more."

The look of shock expressed Moana's thoughts clearly to the goddess. "Honestly, I said I would help you, not kill you. And if I let you die in the ocean, then _it_ would be mad at me. I don't need that. I gave you my word though. You have my help from here on out."

"You still didn't need to go that far," Moana pouted before walking off.

Lahela laughed lightly at her antics. "I suppose there could be worse reactions." She followed Moana further onto the island to see what was there.

She had taken a short walk earlier before the sun had risen but not much stood out to her at the time. It seemed there was much she missed though. Both women looked over the stones that were spread throughout the island. The part that caught their attention were all the images carved into them.

Moana paused in front of one that was marked by a dozen images of what appeared to be Maui's fishhook. "Maui?" She looked at the goddess for validation.

Lahela however had her eyes fixed on the markings as she clenched her hands. She took a deep breath as she tried to release some tension, ignoring her company for the moment. She would save her anger for Maui. Lahela slide her eyes over all the carvings before she looked back at Moana and smirked. "I think we are in the right place." She looked at Moana with a knowing look then. "Think you might need to apologize to the ocean. Looks like we did get some help."

Instead of replying however, Moana opened her mouth before pausing and shut it again. She turned around then and went back to her well-rehearsed words. "Maui… Maui, demigod of the wind and sea, I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat."

Lahela kept her comments to herself as Moana continued with the same words, changing what she emphasized as she went. There were other things on Lahela's mind. If Maui truly was here on this island, then they needed to get him to come with them. She wasn't sure how helpful she would truly be though. Just the idea of him being within reach of her was getting her worked up. It was surprisingly easy to forget how she really felt while around Moana, but that couldn't erase the last thousand years.

This continued all the way back to the boat.

Moana cut her words short when the sound of someone heading in their direction caught her attention. Then the panic set in. She quickly grabbed Heihei as she darted around the boat to hide. Lahela was unsure what happened to the confident girl she had been rehearsing to be, but clearly she wasn't available at the moment.

Lahela looked over towards the rocks a short distance away. She could already see a shadow passing through them. She considered letting Moana handle it completely for the time being, but chose to stand with her and the rooster at the last second. "He's all yours," she whispered to Moana as she stared back in alarm with her grip tightening on her oar.

"Boat! A boat!" A voice exclaimed, suddenly very close. "The Gods have given me a…"

Next thing they knew, the voice was screaming as Maui lifted up the boat with one hand, only to see the girls behind it. A panicked scream escaped him as he dropped the boat and jumped back. Lahela quickly jumped back to avoid being hit, though Moana and Heihei found themselves beneath it instead.

"Was that really necessary?" Lahela snapped as she gestured towards the currently unseen girl.

Maui shot her a skeptical look but still moved the boat, though continued to hold it from that point rather than put it down.

A second later, Moana sat up through the sand she had been buried beneath. In one swift movement, she was standing with the oar in hand and staring down the demigod. "Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea. I am Moana…"

**"** Hero of Man," Maui cut in.

Moana blinked in confusion. "Wh..What?"

"It's actually Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea, hero of man," he corrected before gesturing to Moana again for her to continue. "I interrupted, from the top, hero of man. Go."

Lahela walked slowly to Moana's side as she looked at Maui in disbelief. This guy couldn't possibly be him, though the ego was enough to tell her otherwise. He was even worse than she thought.

Moana tried again. "I am Mo..."  
Yet again, Maui cut her off. "Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. And women. Men and women. Both. All. Not a guy-girl thing. Ah, you know, Maui is a hero to all. You're doing great."

"How conceited could you possibly be?" Lahela spat out. If he kept this up, she might just have to strike him with lightning. She was starting to think his attitude was even worse than some of the gods.

"What?" Moana questioned weakly, looking at Maui before shooting Lahela a warning look. "Don't you start," she cried. This is not how she imagined this conversation going. Goddess or not, she was not letting her make it worse.

Trying to correct the situation, she looked back at Maui and held out the oar as if threatening him with it. "No, I came here to..."

As if taking that as a cue, Maui jumped right to his own conclusions and set the boat down before grabbing the oar from her hand."Oh, of course, of course. Yes, yes, yes, yes," he continued as he grabbed Heihei from the sand. "Maui always has time for his fans." He then proceeded to write on her oar while using Heihei as a utensil. "When you use a bird to write with, it's called tweeting."

He grinned as he finished and presented it back to Moana. She could only stare at it, wondering how this had happened. "I know, not every day you get a chance to meet your hero," he smiled at her in reply.

As all the events unfolded, Lahela stood to the side with her arms crossed. If the grip she had on her arms was anything to go by, Moana was lucky she hadn't conjured up a storm yet.

Moana was done. She slammed the oar into Maui's gut before grabbing his ear to drag him down to her level. "You are not my hero. And I'm not here so you can sign my oar. I'm here because you stole the heart of Te Fiti and you will board my boat, sail across the sea, and put it back," she finished with a firm look.

"I don't know how you could be anyone's hero at this point," Lahela interjected as she stared at Maui.

Those were not words he was expecting, or accepting. "Yeah... It almost sounds like both of you don't like me." He pulled away from Moana to give her a doubtful look before glancing at Lahela. That one, he couldn't figure out what was up with the anger coming from her. Ignoring her, he continued. "Which is impossible because I got stuck here for a thousand years, trying to get the heart as a gift for you mortals so you could have the power to create life itself. Yeah. So what I believe you were trying to say is thank you."  
 **"** Thank you?" Moana reiterated.  
 **"** You're welcome," Maui said proudly.

"Now you listen here," Lahela snapped as she stepped up to Maui who raised an eyebrow as he waited for her to continue. She was done keeping herself in check. Already, the wind was picking up. "If you'd quit being so…"

Moana cut her off as she pulled her back and slapped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were still on Maui though. She wasn't thankful and he really needed to understand why they were there. "Wait, no, no, no. I-I didn't... I wasn't... why would I ever say..."

Maui smirked as he stepped back and held up his hands. "Okay, okay. I see what's happening here. You're face-to-face with greatness and it's strange."

"I can't do this!" Lahela exclaimed as she threw up her hands, clouds already starting to darken the sky. "You're on your own, Moana. Come get me when you're done." She stormed away from the human and demigod, not waiting for a reply, as she kicked up sand as she walked down the beach.

Why had she agreed to this? She had even told her she would help get Maui to come with them! There was no way. She would kill him before that happened. How could he be so completely clueless to what was around him? "He practically destroyed the world and thinks people should thank him?" she yelled out at the ocean. "You actually think I could help Moana in any form while having to deal with him? I'll end up sinking up because of how annoyed I will be. Oh, just wait until I give him a piece of my mind."

She stomped away to get her frustration out before she settled in the sand, legs stretched out as the waves that rolled in would occasionally brush against her feet. Some distance away, she could still see Maui and Moana talking, though it appeared very one sided. At least she would know when it was time to go. Ignoring them for the moment, she entertained herself by trying to calm down and throwing sand into the ocean.

A few minutes later, Lahela spotted Maui walking back but Moana was nowhere in sight. All calm thoughts were washed away. "Maui!" she snarled before she snapped her fingers and reappeared in front of him through a bolt of lightning.

If she were in any other mood, she would have found the scream he emitted to be priceless. "Where. Is. Moana?"

"Who?" He looked around in confusion. "And you're…" He paused as he ran through all the names he knew in his mind that could match the redhead with an affinity for lightning. "Lahela, right?"

"I don't know what you're up to, but it's not happening," she said as she pointed a finger to his chest and looked up at him. "Where is Moana?"

"You mean the girl?" He shrugged as he ignored her threatening tone before he gestured to the rest of the island. "She's getting a better feel of the island. _And_ she was nice enough to give me her boat." He grinned as he finished.

Lahela just looked at him in disbelief. "You're not going anywhere," she said simply as she started to make the wind pickup, knowing it would at least slow him down if he didn't have the wind aiding him. "And you're certainly not leaving with that boat unless we're with you. And even then…"

Maui didn't give her a chance to finish as he grabbed her and tossed her farther inland. He had no intention of dealing with a goddess when he finally had a way off that island. "Ain't happening." He said before he went to grab the boat.

Lahela quickly caught herself as she pushed her hands off a rock and landed a short distance away. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. She looked back towards the shore as she shook out her hands, letting the scrapes from her brief collision heal. "Come on, that was hardly necessary," she mumbled before zapping herself back to the shore.

Maui was just pushing off into the water when Lahela ran up to the boat, jumping on it with him. "Maui!" she yelled as she went to punch though he easily grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.

"Well, aren't you persistent."

"Stop!" The goddess and demigod both looked up from the boat as they spotted Moana at the top of a cliff, right before she jumped in hopes of landing on the boat with them. When she hit the water however, Maui turned his attention back to Lahela and pushed her into the water.

A moment later, Maui turned around to see Moana dropped onto the boat, courtesy of the water. "Did not see that coming," he said as he eyed the girl. Behind him, Lahela swam back up to the boat and climbed back on board.

Soaking wet but determined, Moana pushed her hair out of her face before stomping as she made her point. "I am Moana of Motunui. This is my canoe and you will journey to…"

Her sentenced ended when Maui tossed her back into the water.

"Maui, you are fixing your mess!" Lahela yelled as she walked back up to him, trying to ignore the water dripping off her.

"Not a chance."

Lahela screamed in frustration as she clenched her fists. "Enough!" She focused on the wind, hoping to push him over. If she weren't concerned about destroying the boat, she'd strike him in an instant. She deeply hated wood sometimes. Though the wind didn't do much, it did keep them from going much farther.

Just then, Moana was put back onto the boat with a splash.

"And she's back."

He pulled the lever to adjust the sails then, jerking the boat as it flung Moana off. The sound of water behind him caused Maui to turn around yet again to see Moana standing there. With one before him and one behind him, he finally gave up for the moment.

"It was Moana, right?" He asked with reluctance.

"Yes," Moana agreed before she reached for her necklace and pulled out the heart, holding it out for emphasis. "And you will restore the heart."

With the opportunity in front of him, Maui grabbed the heart and threw it far into the ocean.

All Moana could do was stare into the distance as it disappeared, lost on what to do. Lahela had a different reaction though.

"What is wrong with you?" She yelled as she slapped her hand against his chest. "Now we can't..." A sudden streak of green crossed her eyes then as the heart flew past her and slammed right into Maui's face, knocking him over.

A fight against a mortal, goddess and the ocean was a losing battle. Maui might have been better off on that island by himself. "Alright, I'm out." And just like that, he jumped off the boat and began to swim away. Thanks to the pull of the water though, he then found himself sprawled out on the boat. "Oh, come on!" he yelled out at the ocean.

Before he could go on, Moana stepped forward, heart in hand. "What is your problem?"

Unexpectedly, Maui stepped back from the heart.

Both girls stared at him in surprise before a knowing look crossed their faces. "Are you afraid of it?" Moana asked as she stepped closer.

"Not the great Maui, why would such a little thing scare you?" Lahela teased as she placed her hands on her hips.

Maui shook his head quickly. "No. No," he laughed nervously. "I'm not afraid." He stepped forward to clarify what he meant. "That is not a heart. It was a curse the second I took it."

"Please!" Lahela cried out and gestured to the heart in Moana's hand. "The heart isn't a curse. You're just guilty of cursing the rest of us. And you're too weak to own up to it."

Maui wasn't listening to her words. "The second I took it, I got blasted out of the sky and lost my hook." He pushed Moana's hand away. "Get it away from me."

Moana smirked as she held it closer to his face. "Get this away?"

"Hey… Hey…" he stepped back as he pushed her hand away. "I'm a demigod, okay? Stop that, I will smite you. You wanna get smote?"

Lahela laughed as she looked at Moana. "As if he would."

"Listen, that thing doesn't give you power to create life. It's a homing beacon of death. If you don't put it away, bad things will come for it."

"No, you listen." Lahela stepped up. Every time he opened his mouth, she wanted to slap him. He had a thousand years to get past that. "It's been sitting in the ocean for a thousand years. No creature of death has sprouted from the sea to destroy us all. Stop being dramatic."

"How about I handle this," Moana stepped in as she placed a hand on Lahela's arm. The goddess in reply held up her hands and stepped back, closer to the edge of the boat.

Moana turned her attention back on Maui. "So you think something… Will come for this? The heart?" She continued in a mocking tone as she held the heart up even higher. "You mean this heart right here." Her eyes looked around for a moment. "Come and get it!" She spun around a bit, waving it about, doubtful of Maui's words.

"You are going to get us killed," Maui warned, hoping to get the heart put away.

"No, I'm going to get us to Te Fiti," Moana pointed to Maui with the heart in hand, "so you can put it back."

That's when something came whizzing past them and thudded against the boat. All eyes turned to see what appeared to be a small spear stuck into it, just inches away from where Heihei had been standing the whole time.

Lahela gazed out at the sea, an exhausted look on her face. "Why now?"

Moana looked at the goddess in confusion then out at the sea.

"Kakamora," Maui clarified as he looked to where Lahela was looking.

That was not a name Moana connected to anything. "Kaka… what?"  
"They're pirates, and they won't mind killing us," Lahela said.

To add fuel to the fire, Maui narrowed his eyes on Moana and the heart. "Wonder what they're here for?"


	6. Chapter 6

The day had taken a turn no one wanted. Lahela, Moana and Maui all stood as they watched the shape that was approaching them from across the ocean. Lahela stood with sharp eyes, waiting for what came next as Maui stepped forward though he continued to shoot Moana an annoyed look. It was yet another moment to put on the list of curses caused by the heart.

Moana, on the other hand, just stood at ease, unsure why the goddess and demigod were getting worked up. That is when they finally laid eyes on them. As if standing on a moving mass of rocks, three little beings dressed in coconuts appeared, simply standing and watching the others.

Surprised by their appearance, Moana smiled a bit at them. "They're kind of cute." Her smile quickly fell as the image of a massive ship appeared through the fog. From behind the three kakamora, more appeared. Rows stood on their ship as they began to bang on the drums a call to arms. The coconut-wearing pirates donned their war paint as they prepared for their attack.

"Not so cute anymore," Lahela added as she pushed back her crimson hair, forcing the wind to pick up. A quick escape wouldn't be a bad thing in this situation.

Facing an army of Kakamora was not part of Moana's plan. She quickly dropped in a panic as she faced the water. "Ocean do something, help us."

"The ocean doesn't help you, you help yourself," Maui jumped in as he went to get them out of there.

Lahela was right behind him as she realized he intended to sail out. "Let's get out of here quickly."

"Cut the halyard, find the stay," Maui shouted to Moana, when she didn't move however, he looked up in disbelief. "You can't sail?"

Moana looked at him bashfully. "I am… self-taught." She finished with a small smile, trying to redeem herself.

Lahela could only shake her head as she went to adjust the rope by the mast as Maui quickly tugged on the halyard, causing the sails to rise up and catch the wind. Just like that, they were sailing across the water, trying to put distance between them.

Just as it seemed like they were getting somewhere, a spear landed on the boat, followed by several others, all attached to ropes.

"No thank you," Lahela said quickly as she pulled some of them from their boat, letting the Kakamora that were climbing down the ropes drop into the ocean. Maui was doing the same as Moana attempted futilely to remove a spear from the mast.

It seemed every time they got rid of one, two more appeared. As Maui worked on hitting all pirates that appeared, Lahela took a step back to focus on knocking the kakamora off target via the wind and a few well-placed cracks of lightning to their ship. To make matters worse, it seemed that the kakamora's ship wasn't just simply that. Before their eyes, it split into three different vessels.

Feeling overwhelmed, Moana turned to Maui. Surely the demigod could do something. "Can't you shift shape or something?"

Maui hit another kakamora into the sea before he turned to her in exasperation. "You see my hook?" He paused as he showed his hands. "No magic hook. No magic powers."

As if there weren't enough problems for them all do deal with, after a collision with a pirate, Moana lost her hold of the heart, sending it sliding across the deck of the boat. And on cue, Heihei stepped up, ready to heat anything.

"No, no, no, no," Moana cried as she tried to grab it but was too late. In just a second, the heart was swallowed by him. Hoping to keep it safe, Moana went to grab Heihei only to have him snatched from in front of her by a kakamora. With the rooster in hand, the pirate swung back to it's ship, ready to turn in the treasure.

"Heihei!" Moana cried before turning around quickly as she pointed to the retreating pirate. "Maui, Lahela, they took the heart!"

Maui turned around during his fighting to follow where she pointed. "That's a chicken."

"Please don't tell me he ate it," Lahela said wearily, knowing what sort of tendencies that chicken had.

"The heart is in the…" Moana trailed off as she looked between Maui and the Kakamora's ship. "We have to get it back."

Neither Maui or Lahela made any sign of going for it, though Lahela looked like she was contemplating the idea more than Maui.

"Maui," Moana whined before he finally moved to control the sails and began leading them straight towards the ship.

With the change in direction, Moana turned her attention back to spotting Heihei and Lahela did the same, holding off on the weather till she knew what needed to be done.

"There! Right there!" Moana yelled as she spotted where they needed to get to. But Maui had other plans as he suddenly turned the boat around, throwing them all off balance at the same time.

Moana turned on Maui. "What are you doing?"

"Escaping," he said simply.

"The heart," Moana started again to make her point.

"We can't leave without it," Lahela snapped, suddenly sending a strong gust of wind against the sails as the sudden changed caused them all to stumble.

Maui glared at Lahela as she suddenly stopped the wind again before he turned his attention to Moana. "Forget it, you're never getting it back."

Moana was done waiting on Maui. She eyed another rope that was being sent towards their boat and grabbed it.

"Hey," Maui warned as he saw what she was doing.

"I'm getting it back."

"They're just gonna kill you," Maui shot back.

Moana didn't listen to a word he said however as she took off, swinging towards the ship with one goal in mind.

The second she was off the boat, Lahela turned to Maui as she pointed at him in warning. "Don't get any ideas, we are waiting for her."

"We aren't," he corrected as he yet again set their boat sailing for an exit.

Lahela had every intention of arguing until she noticed the darts suddenly coming down on them. Her eyes widened as she jumped back as one landed where she just was. "Never mind, sounds good." She just hoped Moana had luck on her side. If she got hit by one of those darts, she certainly wasn't making it back to the boat with the heart.

As Maui maneuvered them between the ships, Lahela focused on bringing in a storm. "I assume you can handle a bit of rough sailing."

Maui grinned as he handled the sails. "I'm Maui, bring it on."

One thing she knew for sure was that those bigger ships would have a harder time while so close together. A little storm would go a long way with this. Before she knew what was happening however, Lahela was being pulled down straight into Maui.

"What are you doing?" She yelled, startled.

Maui kept a hold of her arm as he leaned closer to her. "Keeping you standing, and you're welcome," he finished as he gestured behind her.

Lahela glanced back before she pushed herself away from him, looking flustered as she realized she had nearly been pinned by the darts. "It's not like they'd kill me," she mumbled and turned away. "Let's just keep going before we're trapped."

The sound of feet landing on the boat caught her attention then.

"Hah!" Moana said with Heihei in hand. "Got it."

That was all the goddess and demigod needed to know they were clear to get out of that mess. Not wasting another second, they sped forward, watching as the gap between the ships closed with each passing second. Just when it appeared they wouldn't make it though, they slid through, letting the kakamora collide with each other.

The trio watched behind them as the ships went up in smoke.

"We did it!" Moana cheered as she turned to look at Maui and Lahela.

Maui crossed his arms and nodded in approval. "Congratulations on not being dead, curly. You surprise me. But I'm still not taking that thing back."

"This is getting old," Lahela muttered as she put a hand to her head and leaned against the mast. "Just help us and put the damn thing back!"

Maui ignored the goddess, focusing on Moana instead. "You wanna get to Te Fiti, you have to go through a whole ocean of bad. Not to mention Te Ka, a lava monster." He paused as he gave her a self-confident look. "Ever defeat a lava monster?"

Moana smirked as she shot back. "No. Have you?"

Lahela couldn't help but laugh at that reply while Maui bristled when he heard her.

"I'm not going on a suicide mission with some mortal and clumsy goddess. You can restore the heart without me."

"I'm not clumsy," Lahela said with a stomp. "That was a one-time thing."

"Still had to save you," Maui replied before turning towards Moana. He could pass on a goddess having a temper tantrum.

Moana had no idea what they were talking about but focused on the issue at hand. "Come on, Maui."

The stubborn demigod was having none of it. "I'm getting my hook. End of discussion."

"You'll to be a hero." Moana stepped closer as she said it. "That's what you're all about, right?"

"Little girl, I am a hero."

"Maybe you were but now ..." Moana paused for drama. "Now you're just the guy who stole the heart of Te Fiti."

"The guy who cursed the world," Lahela added, though she doubted her tone was helpful.

Moana glanced at the goddess but rolled her eyes and continued. "Don't know one fellow. No one." She pulled out the heart then. "But, put this back. Save the world. You'd be everyone's hero." She let her words sink in as she walked around him and started chanting quietly in his ear. "Maui... Maui... You're so amazing."

Lahela snorted as she covered her smirk. "I'm not sure they'd go that far."

Yet again, Lahela received a glare before Maui spoke. "We'll never make it without my hook. Not past Te Ka."

"Then we get your hook." Moana grinned and nodded. "We get you hook, take out Te Ka. Restore the heart."

"Assuming you do want to be Maui, Demigod of the Wind and Sea, Hero to all. Bit of a mouthful though. Really, so many words." Lahela added in.

Maui stepped forward as he faced both girls and pointed at them. "First, we get my hook. Then save the world."

Moana shot out her hand. "Deal?"

"Deal." Maui agreed.

Lahela stepped up with her hands on her hips. "And I'm holding you to that."

Maui gave her a doubtful look. "I'd like to see you try."

Moana quickly stepped between them, putting a hand out towards each of them. "What's the plan?"

"We go east," Maui said as he pointed off to the distance. "To the sea of Tamatoa. If anyone has my hook, it'll be that bottom-feeder."

* * *

Things had finally settled as they day started to come to an end. Maui agreed to help them, no murdering coconut pirates were in sight and the trip was very smooth. Over all, things were going well. It was during this time, while Maui was adjusting the sails, that Moana decided she had to learn how to sail.

"Teach me to sail." With amazement in her eyes, Moana stared at Maui, only a foot away from him.

Lahela was pretty sure he didn't want to simply because if he controlled the sails he could continue "accidentally" trying to hit them with said sails. It was why she decided to sit at the back beside Maui. He couldn't hit her without hitting himself, plus it was physically impossible for the sails to reach them.

"My job is to deliver Maui cross the great ocean," Moana continued her speech. " I should be sailing."

Maui was not ready to cave. "It's called wayfinding, Princess." He began climbing up the mast to prove his point. "It's not just sails and knots. It's seeing where you're going in your mind. Knowing where you are by knowing where you've been."

Moana looked up when she spoke. "Okay, first… I'm not a princess." She stumbled a moment as Maui jumped down but didn't falter with her words. "I'm the daughter of the chief."

"Same difference," Maui brushed her off.

"Kind of agree," added Lahela at the same time as Moana rejected their words.

"If you wear a dress and you have an animal sidekick," Maui continued as he picked Moana up. "You're a princess." He finished off by setting her in the hatch. "You're not a wayfinder. You'll never be a wayfinder."

Lahela jumped where she sat as Maui suddenly dropped beside her. She turned to see the ocean lurking behind them, most likely the culprit based on when it gave Moana a highfive.

Maui looked back as well as he could, though his body was now paralyzed. "Really? Blow dart, in my butt cheek." He then directed his annoyance to the ocean and Moana in front of him. "You are a bad person."

"If you can talk, you can teach," Moana said cheekily.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't sink us," Lahela added as she slapped the back of his shoulder before standing up.

"Wayfinding, lesson one… hit it," Moana said eagerly as she gestured to Maui.

Lahela was sure it would be an entertaining night. She'd help Moana if she needed to since she doubted Maui would give her any hints, but really, she wanted to see how much of a mess it turned into first.

That's when Maui gave his first command. "Pull the sheets."

And as predicted, Moana had not a clue. She continued walking around, grabbing different parts of the boat, hoping she would eventually find the right item, but he just shot her down each time. This continued multiple times with each new term he threw at her.

The lesson continued for another hour before Lahela eventually called it quits. She was sure with Maui's instructions they would stay on course. With that thought in mind, she let herself relax and rest.

* * *

It was well into the night when Lahela opened her eyes again. As she sat up and ran a hand through her hair, she spotted Moana passed out just in front of her.

"What kind of goddess takes a power nap at night?"

Said goddess looked to her left and saw Maui sitting as he kept an eye on their course. "One that's tired from dealing with morals, demigods and pirates."

"Hard to think you're the goddess and I'm the demigod," Maui mocked.

"Not all of us can run around doing as we please. Some of us have jobs and need to keep the world moving."

Maui gave her a skeptical look as he stood up to adjust the sails. "Lahela, goddess of storms, keeps the world moving? I think you're forgetting who helped form so much here."

Lahela pushed herself up to remain on Maui's level. "Only cause the gods gave you that power." She raised an eyebrow at him as she waved her arm out towards him. "Yours is all brute force anyway. Dragged this up, forced that down. Everyone's heard your stories."

"At least I have stories."

"I did have stories," she snarled as she clenched her fists. A moment later, she lowered her voice as she remembered that Moana was still sleeping. Her anger was barely in check though. "It's your fault anyway. You caused a mess and left it for someone else. Do you know what it's like to have people praying to you, thinking that some rainfall will help save their island that is withering away and dying? I'm just a minor god, I can't just fix this darkness that has been spreading."

Lahela stood inches from him now, eyes closed as she tried to keep from conjuring a storm. Little did she know that Maui stood, staring at her with his fists clenched now, angry at himself.

"That explains why you kept attacking me, at least."

"Well, Moana didn't really want me chasing you off." As she finally opened her eyes, she turned to look out at the stars and ocean instead of the demigod. "You're lucky that's all I did."

Silence filled the air as the minutes ticked by. Maui allowed the goddess to calm down as he did the same. The clouds that had filled the sky made it easy to read her at least. When the weather started to calm, he assumed she was as well.

"Lahela."

The redhead turned back around at the sound of her name.

"Quit moping. If you're holding me to the deal, then you better be up for a fight."

She shot him an insulted look. "I was up for a fight way before you showed up." Heck, she wasn't even really made for fighting. That hadn't stopped her yet though, and it wouldn't in the future.

"Alright, cause tomorrow we're going to the realm of monsters. First stop to fixing it. And I'm not saving you again."

"Enough with that!" Lahela yelled, flushing at the memory of earlier.

Maui simply smirked at how uncomfortable she got but let it drop.

Silence settled yet again before her voice quietly cut through it. "Maui, I just… I am…" Stumbling over her words, Lahela blushed in annoyance at herself. She couldn't move on till she said it though. If she were more conceited, maybe she wouldn't care so much. Why was it so necessary? "Thank you," she spat out quickly before turning back away and proceeded to act like she was tracking where they are with the stars.

As the rest of the night finally settled into a routine, Moana smiled to herself before settling back into sleep. She hadn't intended to listen, but her curiosity got the best of her after getting woken up. Hopefully that meant less arguing now.


	7. Chapter 7

The landform in the distance was growing closer as the sky gradually lightened from the darkness of night. Lahela was laid out at the front of the boat, eyes trailed on the land, as she let her hand casually run through the water.

"Perhaps it's time to wake up Moana. We'll be there soon." Lahela paused as she pushed herself up a bit to turn and look at Maui. "I know you plan on having her stay here, but she's going to follow us. Even if we left her sleeping, I doubt she'd just stay put."

"It's Lalotai. Do you honestly think she would come out of there alive?"

"Not on her own, but she's not on her own." She smirked as she eyed him. "Surely, once you have your hook, getting one little mortal out of there would be no problem."

Maui shot her down. "She's not coming."

"We'll see." Lahela turned around then as she went to wake up their topic of interest. "Moana." She shook her shoulder slightly and waited for her to catch her bearings.

"Enjoy your beauty rest?" Maui asked as he gave Moana a patronizing look. "You know, a real wayfinder never sleeps so they actually get where they need to go."

Confusion crossed her face as she looked around, almost expecting them to be lost at sea.

Maui turned to the girls as he pulled their boat along the rocks of the land. "Muscle up, butter cup. We're here."

Moana was skeptical as measured the mountain with her eyes. "You sure this guy's gonna have your hook?"

Maui looked back at her as he climbed off the boat. "Tamatoa... Oh yeah, he'll have it. He's a scavenger. Collects stuff, things that look cool. And for Tomatoa, trust me, my hook is the coolest he's collected."

"Always so full of yourself," Lahela murmured as she followed him off the boat. "It's probably just a pretty hook to him."

"It's not just a hook," Maui rounded on her and held out his arms, presenting himself. "It's Maui's fishhook."

"Still a hook," the goddess finished as she stepped around him.

Moana looked up, trying to see the top of the cliff. "And he lives up there?"

"Oh, no, no, no... That's just the entrance to a Lalotai."

"Lalotai?" Moana asked, not recognizing the name.

"It's the Realm of Monsters." Lahela clarified.

"We're going to the Realms of Monsters?" Moana voiced.

"We? No," Maui retorted. "Me and Lahela. You are gonna stay here with the other chicken." As he finished, he picked her up and placed her back beside Heihei. With that, he was off, climbing up the side of the cliff with Lahela beside him.

"That's what I'm talking about, give me some ..."

Lahela looked over to see Maui hoping to get a fist bump from his tattoo, though the mini-Maui didn't seem to find his joke funny. "Come on, that was a good one, how you'd not get it?" He looked towards Lahela to confirm it though she shook her head instead and worked on climbing ahead of him. He was on his own if he was going to carry on about pathetic jokes like that.

"So... Daughter of the chief."

Confused by Maui's words, Lahela paused and looked down. Moana had caught up to them.

"I thought you stayed in the village. You know, kissing babies and things." After the look Moana gave him, he was quick to continue. "Hey, I'm just trying to understand why your people decided to send... How do I phrase this?" He paused as he looked at her. "You."

"My people," she paused periodically as she worked on climbing. "Didn't send me. The ocean did."

Maui nodded. "The ocean... makes sense, you're what? Eight. Can't sail. Obvious choice."

"It chose me for a reason," she responded, though it sounded like she was also trying to convince herself.

"If the ocean so smart, why didn't it just take the heart back to Te Fiti itself?" The demigod countered. "Or bring me my hook? The ocean is straight up crazy. But I'm sure it's not wrong about you. You're the chosen one. The ocean chose you for a reason."

"Probably cause she was willing to do more than you," Lahela jumped in as she looked at Maui.

"You weren't jumping to help either," Moana added much to Lahela's dismay.

Maui shot the goddess a smug look. "Oh, is that so?"

Thankfully for the goddess, by that point they had reached the top. The trio pulled themselves over before they walked into the center of the summit.

Moana walked ahead as she looked around, expecting to see just about anything besides what was in front of her, which was nothing. "So, not seeing entrance."

"Yes, because it only appears after a human sacrifice." Maui declared. Moana stared in shock as she waited for another response. When he realized she wasn't saying anything or laughing, he help up his hands in surrender with a laugh. "Kidding... So serious."

Maui stepped forward then as he began saying a chant as he moved with it. Lahela kept an eye on the ground as she took a step back, pulling Moana with her. It was then that the ground began to shake as an opening appeared beneath them. Neither of them needed to fall down their unexpectedly.

"Don't worry," Maui said as he stepped up to the edge. "It's a lot farther down than it looks." And with that, he jumped.

From below, they heard the demigods voice carry up to them. "I am still falling!"

Lahela glanced into the hole then looked at Moana. "It's up to you, but you _would_ be better off staying up here." She gave her one last look before jumping down as well. Regardless what Moana did, it was her decision.

With everything flying past quickly, Lahela kept an eye beneath her as she prepared to catch herself for the landing. All her preparation turned into a scream when she realized catching herself wouldn't work so well unless Maui got out of her way very quickly.

Maui looked up at the sound just in time for the goddess to collide with him, causing them both to go tumbling to the ground.

"Ow, that hurt." Lahela winced as she rubbed her shoulder and sat up. "Think maybe you should have moved out of the way after you got down here?"

Maui groaned as he pushed himself up. "No, you just need to be less clumsy."

"I'm not clumsy! If you weren't in the way I would have landed just fine!" Lahela argued.

Maui raised an eyebrow before he held out his hand to help her up. Once she grabbed his hand, he pulled her up with more force than necessary and laughed as she stumbled. "Still clumsy."

Lahela screamed as she stomped away in frustration, after a few steps however, she stopped and turned around. "And just so you know, I was right!"

"Right about what?" He shot back before mini-Maui in tattoo form answered for her. "Dumb-dumb, she's not even here. No mortal's gonna jump into the realm of mon..." He paused as he saw said mortal falling past them and fell into another part of the area, disappearing beyond one of the hills.

"Well... She's dead." Maui shrugged before he went to watch up to Lahela.

"She's not dead," she said as she exhaled. "And as I said, I was right. She did come." To make her point, she poked him in the chest before turning around. She was sure she should probably go find Moana, but it would also help prove to Maui what she was capable of if she made it back to them without help. "Let's just go. I'm sure Moana will find us."

"Fine, cause I'm getting my hook back."

It took only a few minutes before they found what they were looking for. And it seemed Moana had as well.

"Maui's fishhook," they heard her whisper as she peered around the corner into the cave that Tamatoa was in.

Maui walked up behind her. "Yeah."

It seemed Moana was not prepared for them to find her however as she jumped at Maui's words and swung around, trying to hit him. A look of realization crossed her face once she saw who she had attacked. "Sorry. I thought you're a monster, but... I found your hook and you're right... This Tamatoa really likes treasure."

The trio all looked around the corner as they saw Tamatoa, taking up a huge amount of the cave, as all the items he collected made the decorations on his shell.  
Maui turned back to Moana and pointed towards the ground. "Stay.  
What? No,"

Lahela stepped forward and held up a hand. "I have to agree with Maui on this. The last thing you need is to end up facing Tamatoa."

"I'm... I'm the one who..." Moana began to argue.  
"Listen..." Maui interrupted. "For a thousand years... I've only been thinking of this. Getting my hook and being awesome again. And it's not getting screwed up by a mortal who has no business inside of monster's cave except ..." he paused in thought as he gave Moana a scrutinizing look. "Maybe as bait."

"Hold on! There's no way you're using Moana as bait!" Lahela cut in between Maui and Moana. "You're gonna get her killed. Really, if you wanted someone for bait, I can just go in."

Maui shook his head as he placed his hand on the goddess' shoulder. "She doesn't even need to do anything. Just… sparkle for his collection. You're more useful as backup anyway. Just jump in if you think things are really getting that bad."

With a reluctant look, they eventually gave in to his plan. They just had to hope it really worked.

And that is how Moana ended up in disguise. Lahela tried her best not to laugh. From head to toe, Moana was dressed to shimmer and shine, topped off by a sparkling shell as her crown of glory.

Moana stepped forward, completely void of enthusiasm. This was not what she imagined when told to be bait. "Wow, the shiny glitterin' cave. And just like me, it is covered in sparkly treasure." She paused as she looked back, unamused. "Sparkle ... Sparkle."  
"You're not selling it." Maui directed, hoping to get a bit more life from Moana.

"This is stupid." Moana was ready to drop the disguise.  
"You go out there, he would kill you." Maui added, willing her forward with his hands. "Just stick to the plan."

"Don't forget to keep him distracted," Lahela added in, feeling Maui was forgetting that little bit.

"Yep, make him talk about himself. He loves bragging about himself," Maui concluded before allowing Moana to finish her task of being bait.

Just as expected, Tamatoa was quick to snatch of the latest sparkle to catch his eye. "What have we here? It's a sparkly, shiny." He squinted as he got a closer look, realizing something was off. "Wait a minute... It's a human. What are you doing down here in the realms of the mons..."

It seemed Moana couldn't figure out how to look at him, constantly switching between his two eyes. The difficulties of not being able to look someone in the eye. "Just pick an eye, babe.  
"I can't ... I can't concentrate on what I saying. If you keep ..." And so the trouble continued as Moana struggled with figuring out where to look. "Yes, pick one, pick one."

It seemed Moana was doing a good job as bait, even if she was found out. Maui and Lahela had both snuck into the cave and stashed themselves behind a tall set of stones. The goddess may have been annoyed with Maui earlier, but she had to take things seriously now. Tamatoa wasn't someone to mess around with.

"Stay here in case Moana needs help." Maui led with his eyes towards an edge that ran farther up the wall. "I'm going to get my hook."

Lahela nodded as she followed where he was looking. "Just don't get ahead of yourself. He will spot you up there if you're not careful."

"Thanks for the concern, but don't worry. I'm Maui. It'll be a breeze." He flashed her a smile before he dashed off.

Lahela followed after him with her eyes. "It's that ego that makes me concerned." Once he was yet again out of sight, she turned back to the crustacean at hand. It seemed that Moana was in the middle of building up his ego.

"And we mortals have heard the tales about the crab who became a legend. And I got to know how you became so ... crab...ulous…" Moana trailed off, unsure what to say from there.

"Are you just trying to get me to talk about myself. Because if you are ... I will gladly do so."

As expected from a self-centered crab, he wasted no time before starting to talk. "Well, Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam. I was a drab little crab once. Now I know, I can be happy as a clam because I'm beautiful, baby."

Tamatoa carried on, telling some version of a life history, as Maui made his way around the cave. With each passing word, Lahela worried more and more about Moana. Against a human, his actions seemed quite aggressive. She knew it wouldn't have worked with her as the decoy now considering how he might have reacted to finding an immortal instead, but putting Moana through this wasn't right.

"Did your granny say listen to your heart? Be who you are on the inside. I need three words to tear her argument apart. Your granny lied. I'd rather be shiny like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck. Scrub the deck and make it look shiny."

Through his distraction, Lahela moved towards the other side of the cave, all while trying to keep an eye on Maui. She needed to stay out of it until he reached his hook at least.

"I will sparkle like a wealthy woman's neck. Just a sec, don't you know?  
Fish are dumb, dumb, dumb. They chase anything that glitters  
Beginners. Oh, and here they come, come, come. To the brightest thing that glitters.  
Mmm, fish dinners. I just love free food. And you look like seafood."

Panic set in as Lahela watched Tamatoa bring Moana towards his mouth, every intention of eating her just as he did the fish just moments before. It no longer mattered if Maui had gotten his hook yet or not.

"Let her go!" The goddess yelled as she revealed herself.

At the same time, Moana yelled. "No!" fighting as she tried to free herself.

"Hey! Crab cakes." The familiar voice drew everyone's attention. On the back of Tamatoa's shell stood Maui as he pulled out his hook and grinned. "I'm back. It's Maui time." He paused as he got an idea from Mini-Maui tattoo. "What do you say, little buddy. Giant hawk. Coming up..."

Then, with his hook raised in the air, Maui transformed… Into a fish. He transformed again, over and over, failing to turn himself into a hawk.

Lahela made her way towards Moana and pushed her back as they watched everything unfold. "You need to stay back. Things just got a lot harder."

"Well, well, well..." Tamatoa turned towards Maui with all the smugness in the world. "Little Maui's having trouble with his look. You little semi-demi-mini-god. Ouch! What a terrible performance. Get the hook! You don't swing it like you used to, man." Just as Maui tried to get away, Tamatoa grabbed him with his claw and swung him around, slamming him into the cave wall.

The second things took a turn for the worst, Lahela ran forward. "Maui!" She paused when Maui looked up however, giving her a clear look that told her to stay out of it.

"Yet I have to give you credit for my start. And your tattoos on the outside. For just like you I made myself a work of art. I never hide, I can't. I'm too shiny."

With fists clenched, Lahela took a step back and focused on Tamatoa's shell. He would be in for a shock when she finally jumped in. As the crustacean was focused on Maui but held neither the demigod or Moana in hand, she unleashed a strike of lightning, directed straight towards the back of gold, placed as a giant target she couldn't miss with all that metal.

Annoyed by her attack, Tamatoa quickly turned and sent her skidding across the ground with a swipe of his claw. "Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough. Strut my stuff, my stuff is so shiny." His focus shifted to Moana then as he picked her up and threw her into a make-shift cell to keep her out of his way. "Send your armies but they'll never be enough. My shell's too tough, Maui man."

As the fight continued, the tide of battle never changed. It was achingly mismatched. Tamatoa continued his speech and dragged Maui through the dirt with every chance presented.

A feeling of hopelessness settled over Lahela. How would they possibly get out of there? Maui didn't have the strength to fight against him. Her lightning at done nothing and conjuring a storm in such a small area would certain kill Moana, if not all of them. Determined to do something, she brought up a powerful wind, enough to push Maui over just in time for him to avoid getting hit by Tamatoa again. She hoped that would give her enough time as she disappeared in a flash of lightning before landing on his shell.

"You could try but you can't expect a demigod to beat a decapod." Tamatoa ignored her as he went after Maui again and knocked him down before grabbing his hook to reclaim it for his collection. "You will die, now it's time for me to take apart your aching heart."

Lahela frantically looked for something useful on his back. Her time was cut short as he swatted her off his back. As she closed in on the wall, braced herself for the hit and slide to the ground, still standing but severely winded. She watched as Tamatoa placed the hook where she had previously been standing.

It was then that the cave was cut off from the light above. Maui was picked up as Tamatoa spoke, held over the cage that Moana was held in. "Far from the ones who abandoned you. Chasing the love of these humans who made you feel wanted. You try to be tough, but your armor's just not hard enough."  
Tamatoa turned in a swift motion and slammed the demigod against the wall. It didn't stop there though as he threw Maui into the air and hit him multiple times before he finally fell onto Tamatoa's shell. "Maui! Now it's time to kick your hiney. Ever seen someone so shiny? Soak it in cause it's the last you'll ever see. C'est la vie, mon ami, I'm so shiny."

Lahela could feel her heart pounding in her chest as adrenaline rushed through her. She had to do it right otherwise she was wasting her energy. As Tamatoa spun to get Maui to fall off, Lahela took the opportunity and quickly placed herself back on Tamatoa's shell. She had barely landed before she fell over. A moment was all it took to realize where she was. Though she was too far to reach Maui, she lucked out in landing so close to his hook.

Maui held all of Tamatoa's attention as he flew off his shell and hit the ground. He didn't stay there long though as Maui was heading straight for Tamatoa's mouth. "Now I'll eat you so prepare your final plea. Just for me. You'll never be quite as shiny. You wish you were nice and shiny."

"Hey!"

Lahela looked down from her spot by the hook to see Moana as she held the heart in her hand.

"I got something shiny for you."

With his eyes on a suddenly greater prize, Tamatoa spits Maui out of his mouth and peers at Moana. "The heart of Te Fiti. You can't run from me." With a new goal, he went to get the heart only for Moana to take off running with it.

Meanwhile, Lahela, who was still on his back, clenched onto the hook at the sudden movement. She just needed the right moment to take off with the hook. They just needed an opening to get out of there.

As Tamatoa ran after Moana, Maui tried to grab his legs in hopes of stopping him but it didn't help much.

"It's only so far you can get on those two little legs." Just as Tamatoa was closing in, Moana tripped and all eyes followed the heart as it slid across the ground and fell into a crevice, disappearing from sight.

That was when Lahela knew they had a chance. With Tamatoa distracted by the heart, she jumped from his back with the hook.

Moana was just a step behind. "We gotta go."

The goddess was quick to agree as she ran over towards Maui. She pulled Maui from the ground and continued to help hold him up when she realized just how much of a beating he had taken.

As Maui leaned on Lahela as they walked, he turned his attention to Moana. "Well, what about the heart?"

The girl smirked as she opened her necklace to reveal the real one was still there. "He can have it. I've got a better one."

Just then, a crashing sound echoed around them. The trio turned to see Tamatoa as he crashed through the wall of the cave. "Come back here!"

With that as a clear sign to get out of there, Lahela, Moana and Maui raced forward. As they reached a water geyser, the stood there just long enough to see Tamatoa coming after them before a jet of water burst from beneath them and pushed them out of Lalotai.


	8. Chapter 8

They made it. Lahela wasn't sure how, but she had never been so happy to see a beach. As the goddess walked out of the water, she dropped down into the sand and laid there, face towards the sky as she took a deep breath. Things could have gone worse. They were alive and in one piece.

"We're alive," Moana cheered as she followed after the goddess before sprinting by her. "We're alii" she suddenly stopped and muffled her startled scream.

Confused by her reaction, Lahela turned over and spotted just what had caused Moana to yell. It seemed that Maui had tried to shapeshift again as they made it out of Lalotai. It did not go as planned though. The demigod now stood on his own legs, however the upper half of his body was a shark. The goddess quickly covered her mouth with a hand as she tried to contain her laughter.

Maui was oblivious to what was happening. "Listen. I appreciate what you did down there."

Moana tried her best to respond and keep a serious face. "Mm..hmm..."

"Took guts. But..." Maui tried to carry on, but Moana's strange behavior was too much to ignore. "I'm sorry. I'm tryin' to be sincere for once, and it feels like you're distracted."

"No, no. No way."

As Moana tried to cover up her amusement, Lahela walked over to help.

It seemed hard to believe. "Really? Cause you looking at me like I have a ... Shark head."

By that point, Lahela had joined the pair, though she was still trying not to laugh.

"Do you have a shark head, cause I ...?" He trailed off as he raised what should have been an arm, only to see a fin instead. It just wasn't his day.

As Maui kept his tone serious, the girls finally settled into a more somber mood as they listened.

"Look ... The point is ... For a little girl, child thing, whatever, who had no business being down there, you did me a solid. But you also almost died. And I couldn't even beat the dumb crab." He paused as he glanced at Lahela. "Not even with help, so chances of beating Te Ka. Bup-kiss." He sank down onto the sand in surrender. "We're never making it to the Te Fiti. This mission is cursed."

"It's not cursed," Moana protested.

"If it were really cursed, we'd probably still be down there." At Lahela's input, Moana shot her an annoyed look. The goddess simply shrugged. "I'm just saying."

Maui pointed to his head as an argument. "Shark head."

"It is not cursed," Moana said as she went to get his hook, struggling before she dropped it into his hands.

As Maui grabbed his hook, he transformed in hopes of returning to normal. When he looked over however, he realized he was mirroring Heihei. He frustratingly transformed again before it finally seemed right… Only to fall over thanks to having a shark tail as his legs. "Cursed," Maui mumbled into the sand. "What can I say, except we're dead soon."

"Quit being so dramatic," Lahela said as she rolled her eyes and rolled him over as she pushed him with her foot.

Maui continued. "We're dead soon."

"Can't you at least try?" Moana pleaded, tired of his attitude.

Surprisingly, Maui obliged her request. "Giant hawk." The results were the same as before though, and with each failed shift, his mood fell more and more. "We're dead soon."

Moana sighed as she looked at the demigod before turning towards Lahela. "I'm gonna find out boat, just… try to talk some sense into him."

Lahela didn't expect much better results but nodded as Moana walked off. Once she was some distance away, Lahela looked back at Maui and watched as he tried to shift again before finally getting back to his normal form. "Maui," she said quietly and waited for him to finally turn his attention from the sand. "I know things didn't go as planned, but you'll never get past this if you let it get to you."

Maui looked up in misery as he sat on the ground. "If this is supposed to be a pep talk, you suck at it."

"It's not!" Lahela snapped as she stomped her foot. She didn't understand how he was so infuriating sometimes, but she knew getting upset wouldn't help. She took a breath before she sat down across from him. "Look… I just… If you don't get your act together, I don't have high hopes for the end of this. Moana has too much at stake to stop now, and I promised I would help her." She paused, unsure what to say. It was times like this when she realized just how much of her time until now had been spent speaking to just the ocean.

"I'm not much help if I can't shape-shift."

"But you can! I don't know what your problem is, but a little time and thought will probably help."

Maui stood up then, kicking sand around at the same time as he glared at her. "You don't have to worry about your powers suddenly disappearing. You've always had them and always will, no questions asked so don't act like you know anything about my powers."

"I don't know, okay. I'm sorry, but you _have_ to help! We are so close and I can't keep doing what I was before."

The demigod shook his head as he pushed past her. "I don't have to do anything. Feel free to help the kid reach Te Fiti. Let me know how that goes."

Lahela couldn't take in anymore. She tried to keep herself in check, but she couldn't. Without waiting another second, she let out a scream of frustration as she shoved him suddenly. "I can't! I'm not a fighter! What happened with Tamatoa was terrible, but you weren't the only one struggling down there. I had no idea how to help you or Moana. I thought I could help, but my powers were useless down there. What if my powers do absolutely nothing against Te Ka as well? I could at least keep Moana away from Tamatoa but I had _no_ way of helping you down there either. I am way over my head with all this but I'm going to keep going. You know why? Because Moana is. If Moana, a mere human, can push through all of this, then there is absolutely no reason why we can't."

Maui stood there with an unreadable look on his face as Lahela caught her breath. She seemed to completely miss the dark clouds that were filling the sky. It was just one more thing that he was starting to figure out about her. Rather than wind, she was bringing rain it seemed. "You do realize it's a lava monster we'd be facing. With your rain, you're a lot better off than me helping right now. If you're smart though, you'll get her to turn around before everyone ends up dead instead."

Lahela's face fell as she looked at him hopelessly. "I get it now. You just won't believe in yourself. You've doubted this trip from the beginning. If you weren't so against it, maybe then you'd be having better luck. Do as you please then."

She turned around then and sat at the edge of the ocean, leaving Maui standing several steps behind her.

"I don't know how you thought any of this would work out," Lahela spoke quietly to the Ocean as it kicked up against her feet. "This journey is crumbling to pieces. I don't plan on abandoning Moana, but maybe Maui is right. We barely got away from Tamatoa. If things go worse than that, then we're dead."

She knew the ocean wouldn't reply, so she was surprised when a reply came from behind her.

"Who knew there was heart under all that rage?" Maui smirked as he sat down beside her. "I'm surprised you cared enough to want to help me."

"W-what?" she stuttered, startled by the question.

"In Lalotai, you said you wanted to help me. I'm sure I'm on that last of people you don't want to die. And here I thought you hated my guts. After all, you did punch me when we first met."

"Well, you did throw me across the island so I think we should be even," she retorted.

"Just admit it, I've grown on you. Now you realize how awesome Maui is." He playfully pushed her shoulder then.

Lahela scoffed at his words. "Now you're just fooling yourself. But… I guess you're not _that_ bad. Don't go inflating that ego of yours though!"

Maui studied her face a moment, letting the silence sit before he smirked at her. "Now you're the one fooling yourself." That smirk turned into straight out laughing as he watched Lahela start to blush and turn away from him. "Who knew the goddess of storms blushed so easy?"

"I'm not blushing! It's cause you are so frustrating!" Lahela stormed away then, trying to ignore the blush on her face and Maui's laughter as she walked down the shoreline.

As the goddess walked along the water, she tried to leave that entire conversation behind her. She honestly wasn't sure if that helped or not. Maui was at least in a better mood, but he never said he would help either. And then there was the strange behavior before she walked off.

She didn't have time to dwell on her thoughts as she saw Moana walking back towards her.

It was clear to Moana the second she looked at Lahela that she was quite flustered. "How did talking with him go?"

Lahela looked back towards where she left Maui. "I'm not sure…"

Moana glanced up towards the sky. "Based on the clouds that suddenly showed up, I'm guessing that things didn't go so well."

"No, I mean, it was rough to start with, but I think things improved. Maybe."

Lahela quickly continued when she saw the puzzled look cross the girl's face. "He wasn't as depressed when I left at least, but he still hasn't agreed to help."

"Oh…" She kept an eye on the goddess as she paused. "Anything else happen?" she asked with curiosity.

"No," she shot back quickly. "Why would you think that?"

"No reason, you just look awfully flustered is all." Moana teased as she walked back towards where they left Maui.

Lahela pouted as she walked beside her. "That's cause I can't have a conversation with him without wanting to punch him."

Moana laughed then and shook her head.

"Why is everyone laughing?" The question simply made her laugh more. Done with it, Lahela pushed Moana causing her to stumble partly into the water. "You're all hopeless!" She left the girl laughing, ready to get moving.

* * *

Lahela and Moana stood by the boat, ready to leave as Maui settled back into silent pouting.

Moana marched over to Maui as Lahela worked on getting the boat ready to sail. "Alright, play time is over. Get up."

"Why?" Maui asked halfheartedly. "You're gonna give me a speech too; tell me I can beat Te Ka cause I'm ... Maui."

Moana gave him a stern look. "No, but we are getting off this island. Lahela and I are leaving if you would rather not be stranded again." She walked off then, thankfully followed by the demigod. A few minutes later and with very little issue, they were off at sea yet again.

This time it seemed it was up to the girls to reach their next destination without Maui's help as he currently sat while being completely useless.

Their course was straight and the sailing was smooth. There was little to worry about at that moment. It was during this quiet moment that Moana decided to poke the sleeping bear.

"How do you get your tattoo's?" Moana asked Maui as she looked at the various pictures adorning his body.

"They show up when I earn them," Maui muttered.

Moana leaned over then as she pointed to one in particular. "How do you earn that one?" When there was no response, she moved on to another tattoo. "What's that for?"

"That's man's discovery of Nanya."

"What's Nanya?" Moana questioned.

"Non' ya business," Maui snapped before turning away from her.

That didn't hinder Moana though. "I'll just keep asking." Then she pointed to another one, this time the one on his back. "What's that for?"

"You need to stop doing that." Maui snarled, but she just stepped closer, persistent. "Back off."

Lahela, who had been staying out of it but listening, tried to warn Moana. They didn't need to make things worse. "Moana," she said grabbed her arm.

Moana simply pulled her arm away and continued. "Just tell me what it is."

"I said back off."

"Moana, leave him be."

She turned to Lahela then. "Why? It's important, I know it is. I suspect you know as well." She turned back to Maui then. "Is that why your hook's not working?"

Silence fell as neither the demigod nor the goddess spoke. Maui continued glowering at Moana as Lahela shifted a guilty look between Moana and Maui. Lahela had heard the stories, she was fairly sure why Maui didn't want to talk about it. And Moana may have had a point. They both knew there was a reason why his powers weren't working. She suspected even he knew that. What she wasn't sure of was if pushing him anymore would help at all.

Despite their silent words, Moana wasn't going to stop now. Maui would listen. "You don't wanna talk? Don't talk. You wanna throw me off the boat. Throw me off. You wanna tell me, I don't know what I'm doing. I know I don't. I have no idea why the ocean chose me. You're right. But, my island is dying. So I am here. It's just me, you and Lahela. And I want to help. But I can't, if you don't let me."

When Maui finally spoke again, the somber mood was easy to feel. "I wasn't born a demigod. I have human parents. They... They took one look and decided they didn't want me. They threw me into the sea like I was nothing. Somehow, I was found by the Gods. They gave me the hook. They made me... Maui. And back to the humans I went. I gave them island, fire, coconuts. Anything they ever wanted."

Lahela sat quietly as she pursed her lips as she watched Maui, trying to imagine going through such a thing.

Realization dawned on Moana then and her next words were quiet. "You took the heart for them. You did everything for them so they'd love you."

Maui weakly shrugged. "It was never enough."

"It's one thing I didn't miss when I stopped answering prayers," Lahela added, mostly to herself though the others heard anyway.

Moana glanced at the demigod and goddess. With so much history between them and other humans, she could only imagine what they've seen, good and bad, from them. Maui still needed a push though, she just hoped her words would reach him. "Maybe the Gods found you for a reason. Maybe the oceans brought you to them. Because it saw someone who was worthy of being saved. But the Gods aren't the ones who make you Maui. You are."

Something clicked. It seemed it was just what he needed to hear. "Okay," he grinned as he looked at the girls as he jumped up to take his spot steering them forward. "Next stop, Te Fiti."


	9. Chapter 9

The wind pushed them forward at a fast pace thanks to a little help from Lahela. It was finally time. They had come so far. Thinking back on it now, not a lot of time had passed but so much had happened. And now it was coming to an end. The heart would be turned and everything would return to normal.

Lahela looked up from typical seat in the back as she eyed Moana and Maui. "Do we have any sort of plan? I've been near Te Ka a few times. This isn't going to be an easy thing. He is held up on an island and in order to reach Te Fiti, we need to either get through him or around him. Either way is going to be difficult."

Moana, though still determined as ever, became worried at the thought. "I hadn't really considered what we would do."

"Don't worry. We'll find a way. I'm gonna fly in and strike from above." He turned towards Lahela. "Just keep the rain falling, though preferably without trying to sink us."

Lahela rolled her eyes at the obvious comment. "Noted."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them as their thoughts began to dwell on different things, but mostly on what was to come. None of them tried to break it though. What was there to say? So it stayed, lingering as the waves rolled by as the distance shrank between them and their destination.

"I figured it out." Maui spoke suddenly as he continued looking out at the ocean, cutting through the silence. Neither girl seemed to have a clue what he was talking about and remained quiet. "You know the ocean used to loved when I pulled out islands cause your ancestors would sail the seas, and find them; all those new islands, new villages... It was the water that connected them all. And by way of the ocean, I think I began looking for, ahh... Curly haired, non-princess."

"Don't start that again," Moana said with a roll of her eyes.

Lahela laughed, smiling as she teased the demigod. "Looks like Maui's getting soft."

Moana joined in with a laugh. "But that is literally the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Probably should've saved that for Te Fiti."

"I did. Moana of Motunui," he paused as he turned to look at what lied before them. "I believe you have officially delivered Maui across the great sea."

Just as he said, an island was coming into view. They had reached Te Fiti and simply needed to get to her. The trio rose to their feel as they mentally prepared. Just as they got closer, something awakened before them. Great clouds of smoke rose from the ground making it nearly impossible to see. Then, through the smoke they could see Te Ka rise, red lava burning beneath the skin of rock that covered it.

"It's time. Go, save the world." Maui grinned before he transformed into a hawk and took to the sky.

Lahela grinned as well as she watched him go before she looked at Moana. "I'll help us get through as much as I can but I leave the navigating to you. I've got a nice storm in mind."

"Got it, let's go." Despite the danger they were heading towards, she couldn't help but be excited about getting so close.

The goddess stood as she kept the wind pushing them forward, her main focus was bringing the clouds over Te Ka though. With Maui distracting him with physical attacks, Lahela would have time to make a heavy rainfall.

It didn't take long for Te Ka to notice them. Just as they got closer, a ball of lava was thrown towards them, barely missing the boat. The wave created was enough to rock the boat, knocking both girls off balance. Lahela turned to check on Moana just in time to see the heart fall into the ocean. Eyes wide, both girls tried to grab it before it was out of reach but it was too late.

"Maui!" Lahela yelled, getting his attention before she pointed towards the ocean.

He quickly realized what was wrong and transformed into a fish as he dove into the water. Getting the heart was easy, the real trouble was avoiding the lava that Te Ka was flinging into the ocean, guided by the glow of the heart. The struggle was worth it when he made it back onto the boat, heart in hand.

"Maui, Lahela..." Moana started as she kept her eyes trained ahead of her, on Te Ka.

Both looked over before they realized she was sending them straight towards the lava monster.

"What... What are you doing?" Maui asked anxiously.

Moana pointed ahead as she showed them a divide in the island, right beside Te Ka. "Finding you better way in."

Lahela watched with wide eyes before she suddenly stopped supplying wind, though it didn't stop them. "Moana, stop!"

Maui was on the same side as Lahela. "We won't make it."

"Yes, we will," she argued.

"Turn around," Maui snapped.

Moana was determined to keep going. "No."

"At least wait!" Lahela yelled as she looked back towards Te Ka and realized what was coming towards them.

Still, Moana did not change. "No."

And then it was too late. Just as Te Ka swung his arm down towards them, Maui jumped forward with his hook to block it. The power of the collision created such a force that it shook the water. The boat was sent flying back with the waves away from the island. They didn't stop until the island was out of sight again.

A stillness settled over the boat. Lahela and Moana stood with eyes on Maui. His eyes were glued to his hook and the crack spreading through the top of it surrounded by a charred area, showing just where it collided with Te Ka.

"Are you okay?" There was no reply to Moana's words. "Maui?"

"I told you to turn back." Maui's words were chillingly calm.

Lahela knew immediately that something was wrong and stepped forward until she was beside the demigod and placed a hand on his arm in comfort, though she knew it wouldn't help.

Moana continued. "I thought we could make it."

"We?" Maui chided.

At his tone, Moana looked down and conceded. "I thought I could make it." She looked back towards his hook then. "We can fix it."

"It's not that easy," Lahela added solemnly.

"It was made by the Gods." Maui explained. "You can't fix it. Not even Lahela can fix it."

Lahela unconsciously tightened her grip on his arm. She knew the words weren't meant as an insult, but it reminded her of what she couldn't do none-the-less.

Maui glanced at her but didn't correct his words, choosing to remove her hand instead as he stepped towards Moana.

"Next time we'll be more careful." Moana started. "Te Ka was suck on that island. It's lava. It can't go in the water. We can find a way around."

The back and forth continued with Maui. "I'm not going back."

"What... We still have to restore the heart." Moana said in shock.

"Moana's right," the goddess interjected. "We need to do this."

"My hook is cracked." Maui held up his hook to enforce his point. "One more hit and it's over."

Moana continued. "Maui, you have to restore the heart."

"Without my hook, I am nothing."

"That's not true."

"Without my hook, I am nothing."

Having had enough of their arguing, Lahela shook her head as she pointed at him. "You're only nothing if you let yourself be nothing."

"We are only here because you stole the heart in the first place," Moana added in annoyance.

Maui was having none of her words though, letting his anger get the better of him. "No, we're here because the ocean told you you're special and you believed it."  
It was only for a brief moment, but his words cracked her resolve and they all saw it. "I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat."

Maui was done. He swiftly changed into a giant hawk, though not without issues at first due to the crack. "Goodbye, Moana. Lahela."

"Maui! You can't go. Let's just talk for a minute!" Lahela cried suddenly when she realized he was leaving them. She glanced at Moana before looking back at him. "Just a minute… Just us."

"There's nothing to talk about." Maui looked at Moana then who had continued her speech. "I'm not killing myself so you can prove you're something you're not."

Moana's words were turning into a plea. "The Ocean chose me."

Maui's words were final. "The ocean chose wrong."

"Maui!" both girls cried together as he took off.

"Don't go anywhere!" Lahela proclaimed as she faced Moana. "I'm talking to him whether he wants to listen or not. Then I'll be back. No matter what we decide to do, I'm helping through the end." She turned then but paused. "Just… don't touch the water until I'm back."

Moana nodded as she watched Lahela take a hesitant step forward. "Can't say I've ever tried to transport myself while standing on water before," Lahela mumbled. "Help me out, Ocean." She stepped onto the ocean then, focusing on the small landform she knew was nearby, if the sandbar could even be called such a thing.

In a flash, Lahela was relocated. The power that coursed through her made her stumble as she landed with a splash. She didn't have time to situate herself as looked around and spotted Maui a distance away. A strong wind was needed and she focused on halting his flight in order to bring him back towards him.

She knew the moment she got his attention. He turned suddenly and moved towards her.

As she waited, she focused on reigning in her powers. It felt like she was stuck in a constant flow of electricity. She slowed her breathing and closed her eyes as she worked on drawing in all her power. She was just in time as she heard a splash from in front of her.

Lahela opened her eyes to see Maui standing in his true form again.

"I'm not going back so just quit now if that's why you're here."

She took a breath as she collected her thoughts. "I understand why you don't want to, but it needs to happen. You haven't seen the islands. Seen them dying. We messed up last time, but it is possible. We just need to think it through more. You can still shapeshift and fight. All your stories tell of a hero. Live up to that instead of holding yourself back."

"I already told you, I'm not getting myself killed over this." Maui turned away from her for a moment. "Why are you so eager to die as well?"

"I'm not eager to die. I'm eager to live to see something better. As I've already told you, because of what you did, I stopped answering prayers and visiting humans. I'm nothing but a disappearing myth while your stories live on." She looked at him in disappointment. "Yet you won't even live up to your stories."

Maui looked back at her. "One hit and my hook is gone. My powers are gone. I'm not losing that. I wanted to help. I wanted to help you, but not with the price we're facing."

"Demigod, huh?" Lahela looked dejected. "What you are is a coward."

"Try not to get yourself killed." Maui took off then as he transformed.

The goddess remained there until he was nearly out of sight. "Why did I even bother?" She looked at the ocean as it pushed against her legs. "And why do I care so much? Things were easier when I stayed out of it all. You just had to start it all..." She walked out farther, letting the water soak her skirt. "Would you care to help me get back to Moana?"

The Ocean obliged as it pushed her along, reaching the boat in little time at all.

Lahela stood on the boat as she squeezed out the water from her red hair but didn't say a word.

"He's not coming," Moana concluded, piecing together the lack of news from the goddess and her quiet stance at that moment. "I had time to think while you were gone… And a little help," she added with a small smile. "We can still get the heart to Te Fiti if you're willing to help."

She moved her eyes over to Moana as she saw the resolve in her. Despite everything that had happened, she was still willing to push forward. It was what she liked about her, why she had actually started to believe in the girl. "I told you, regardless what you decide, I'm with you."

Moana smiled as she stepped closer to Lahela, determined to cheer her up some. "Let's do this. Then you can rub it in Maui's face after we save the world."

"You're right, let's do this."

As they approached the island for a second time, they took the time to form a plan. It was a bit difficult however with Heihei trying to step off the boat at any given moment. Next thing they knew though, Te Ka was in front of them, looming as their biggest obstacle.

With a nod towards each other, Moana brought them forward as Lahela brought in rain clouds. As the rain began to fall, a fog rose from the ground, creating a cover for them. The steered to the left as if planning to go around the island. Just as expected, Te Ka followed with the intent to strike them when the chance arose.

Moana and Lahela had other plans though. Once in the thick of the fog, they quickly changed directions and went towards the break. That was when Te Ka realized he had been tricked by the shape of a rock that had been jutted out of the ocean, taking on the appearance of their sail.

Te Ka screamed as he turned and swiftly moved across its island. It was a race as they tried to get past the land just as Te Ka swung at them, hitting the side of the cliff surrounding them as well. As the rocks fell and hit the water, the rough waters became too much and flipped the boat. Lahela and Moana were both sent crashing into the water.

"Give me a second!" Lahela yelled as she started swimming towards Te Ka's island. Moana remained by the boat as she tried to figure out how to get towards Te Fiti while unable to sail.

The rain continued to pour down as Te Ka aimed again, this time towards Lahela as he made the connection between the sudden rainstorm and her. Just as she reached land again and climbed out of the water, Te Ka swung his arm down towards her. At the last second, a giant hawk swept through his arm and cut off his attack.

Moana and Lahela both looked up and grinned. "Maui!"

A moment later, Maui landed by Moana and helped flip the boat back into its rightful position.

"You've came back." Moana said extatically before trailing off. "But your hook. One more hit, and ..."

"Te Ka has gotta catch me first." Maui grinned as he looked. "I've got your back, chosen one. Go, save the world. Leave Te Ka to me and Lahela."

Lahela kept her eyes on Te Ka as the two spoke, quickly zapping to the other side of the island as she avoided another hit. Just then she saw Maui come flying over before transforming into a whale. The splash was enough to hinder Te Ka while sending Moana straight towards the island where Te Fiti would be.

With Moana safely on the other side and out of the way, they could focus solely on the battle. Maui continued to transform, keeping Te Ka distracted as Lahela focused on weakening him with the rain as the waters continued to become more rough, splashing the lava monster anytime it got closer to it.

Despite their best efforts, it seemed like it was getting them nowhere. With each hit they gave, he simply regenerated. Hits. Dodging. Moving. More hitting. Regenerating. It was never-ending, but Maui and Lahela continued on, or so they thought. One more hit was all it took. Maui's hook was done. Maui landed roughly beside Lahela as she helped him up. Moana just had to return the heart and they were set.

It wouldn't be so simple though. A bright green light broke through the darkness from a short distance away on the other island, it wasn't a light that meant the heart was restored though. There stood Moana, the heart held high as a beacon calling for Te Ka.

As Lahela watched Moana walk forward, the ocean parted. Te Ka had a direct path to her.

"What is she doing?" Maui yelled from his spot by Lahela, watching things unfold.

"Wait!" She quickly grabbed his arm as he went to move again. "She knows what she's doing."

"Te Ka is going to kill her!" As if to support his argument, Te Ka moved with such force as it closed in on Moana, looking like a being ready to kill.

Lahela tugged on his arm so that he would look at her then. "Believe in her."

Maui looked ready to protest but she was right. He needed to believe in her. That's why he came back in the first place.

No matter how much she was hoping for the best, Lahela was worried for the girl. Te Ka was not stopping. But then something changed. The world seemed to pause as Te Ka and Moana stood face to face. What words were spoken, the goddess didn't know, but they worked. With the heart in hand, Moana returned it. That whole time, Te Ka was Te Fiti. The burnt shell that formed Te Ka fell away as Te Fiti was revealed beneath it, the complete example of life as she was covered in the greens of earth.

Lahela couldn't help but smile as she watched Te Fiti step forward and turn to where her island had been. With just a touch, life returned to the area, spreading to everything that surrounded her. She looked at Maui then, her smile unfaltering. "We did it."

Before he could reply, the Ocean swept them up and shot them back out to stand beside Moana. Just as Lahela landed, Heihei was next, rolling a few feet as he landed head first.

Maui watched as the bird landed with a laugh. "The chicken lives."

Once they were beside her, Moana looked at Maui. "I'm sorry about your hook."

Maui shrugged despite the disappointment over it. It could have been worse. "Well, hook. No hook, I'm Maui."

Just then, the trio was lifted into the air, all held on the palm of Te Fiti's hand. Realizing the situation, Moana quickly dropped down to bow, Lahela following soon after. Maui however needed a little push before he did so as well.

As they all stood up again, Maui grinned as he looked at Te Fiti, trying to play it cool. "How've you been?"

She was not playing along with it.

"Look, what I did was ... wrong," Maui confessed humbly. "I have no excuse. I'm sorry."

No words were said or needed. It seemed Te Fiti accepted his apology but it didn't stop with that. She raised her other hand then and opened her palm to reveal Maui's hook, laying there in one piece.

The demigod was so eager to grab it but refrained, unsure what to do. Lahela couldn't help but giggle at it all.

"You know, it will be rude to not take the gift of the Goddess," Moana added as Lahela pushed him forward a bit to grab it.  
"Thank you," Maui said as he grabbed the hook and bowed his head. "Your kindness is deeply appreciated." He didn't wait another second then before transforming and flying off, landing back on the ground beneath them.

Te Fiti gave them one final gift as she formed a new boat, having lost the old one in the battle. With that, she set them down and moved away before she became one with the island again.

The trio stood there as they took in the island in front of them. Lahela could hardly process how she was feeling. "We really did it. We really did it!" She turned then as she hugged Moana, the girl happily hugging her back with a laugh.

A second later, she pulled away and turned to do the same to the demigod. She stopped at the last second and stepped back, blushing nervously as she failed to form words about her strange behavior. She couldn't help it though. It was about time she was done waiting!

Maui laughed at the goddess before he dragged her back towards him in a hug. "Ha, I knew I grew on you."

As she finally pulled away, ignoring Moana who was grinning at the two of them, she didn't correct him, choosing other words instead. "Doesn't change how annoying you are though." She turned away then and crossed her arms, trying to will herself to calm down.

"Let's go get that boat ready to sail." Maui placed a hand on each of the girl's shoulders and pushed them forward. He was right at least. No one wanted to set out on the ocean without food.

As Maui went off to collect fruit from the trees, the girls continued picking things as they went.

"So what will the goddess of storms be doing from now on?"

Lahela paused as she considered Moana's words. "You know, I have no idea. I always imagined I'd go back to my old habits. But… I don't know. Maybe not yet."

"Well, if you can always come to my village, though you never really hung around them even when you were around… Or maybe another adventure with Maui…"

The goddess laughed at the latter idea. "If you want me killing him."

Moana shook her head. "I don't think that would happen. You don't hate him nearly as much as you like to pretend."

Moana walked off towards the beach then, leaving her standing there. It was true. She didn't hate him. She hadn't in a while, but it didn't change how frustrating he could be. All he did was work against them during the whole trip. He never wanted to help cause he was too busy looking out for himself. Sure, he might have saved her a few times, but it hardly made up for everything else.

But, there was that part in her mind she had been ignoring ever since they had faced Tamatoa. She had been worried. She did care what happened to him just as she cared about Moana. Why was she so upset when he said he wouldn't help though? She told herself that it was just disappointment with him after thinking he would help. It wasn't simply that though. She had actually missed his company and their banter.

She was not admitting that to Moana or Maui though. They all had things to focus on. Lahela pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and made her way to the boat.

When she reached the boat, Maui had just finished dropping fruit into the hatch when Heihei walked forward and fell head first right into it.

"Gonna miss you, drumstick," Maui said as he laughed at the chicken.

Moana finished fixing the ropes before she looked at Maui. "You can come with us, you know. My people are going to need a ... master wave finder."

As Lahela walked towards them, she paused. They could have their moment before she let them know she was back.

Maui smiled at her words but pointed out "they are already have one." He showed her then as a new tattoo formed, looking very similar to Moana as she sailed.

She launched herself at the demigod then, hugging him tightly as she realized this is where they parted ways.

As Moana pulled back, she noticed Lahela walking back towards them again. "What will you be doing?"

The goddess sat at the edge of the boat. "I figured I'd join you for now if you don't mind. Can't exactly fly like some."

"You're coming with me to the village?" Moana asked in surprised.

Lahela quickly shook her head though. "Not exactly. Just long enough to get myself to another boat. My actual boat should still be sitting on your island." She smiled at the girl before glancing at Maui then looking down. "After that… well… who knows."

"If you need a break from starting storms, come find me." Maui offered.

"I think I'll take you up on that actually. After all, answering prayers hasn't been my thing in a while. I'll need something to do." She grinned as she looked at the demigod. "Annoying you could be fun."

"Yeah, yeah."

"See you out there, Maui." Moana spoke as the demigod stepped back then.

Maui nodded. "See you out there, Moana... See you, Lahela." With that, he took off in hawk form, disappearing into the horizon.

It was just the girls then and within a few minutes, they were back out on the water. Motunui would be in front of them in no time.


	10. Epilogue

The sun was shining down on the island as the life that had been stolen from it spread from one plant to the next, brightening the land an inch at a time. Lahela smiled as she watched everything from her spot on top of the cliff. She had settled there only a few minutes earlier.

Once she and Moana had gotten close enough to the island, Lahela parted ways with her. The goddess had no intention of being there when Moana reunited with her family. It didn't mean she wouldn't keep an eye on events from a distance though. Hopefully everything worked out for Moana. She deserved it after what she did.

Lahela watched for a moment as Moana hugged her parents as the village quickly began to gather around. She smiled for her before turning to walk around the island. Just as she expected, hidden in a crevice on the far side of the island that rarely received attention, sat her boat. She suspected that might chance soon. After all, the cave the village ancestors' boats were stored in was not too far away. If they were willing to walk the distance, it would be found.

A few days passed before the goddess was ready to head out. There was just one thing she needed to do. As expected, Moana was helping her village get ready to use their ancestors' boats. During that time, the girl looked over and caught a glimpse of the goddess as she walked away, disappearing into the scenery.

Moana followed, trying to keep an eye out for her. When she finally caught up, she found Lahela leaning again a boat she had never seen before. "Are you leaving?"

"Yep, I wouldn't feel right if I left without saying bye though. Not after lurking for the past few days," she said lightly.

"I'm glad. We'll be leaving soon as well. Of course, getting a village ready to head out at sea takes time." Moana walked over to her boat as she looked it over.

Lahela ran a hand through her hair as she looked towards the ocean. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused when we first started. Perhaps I'll start having a higher opinion of humans."

"No," Moana said as she suddenly hugged the goddess. "Thank you. I don't know how I would have gotten through all that without you."

Lahela hugged her back. "Call if you ever need anything. Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other on new island." She pulled away as she stepped onto her boat. "Now go show that village what you're made of. I expect to hear stories of the amazing chief you will be in the future."

"You as well. People should know about the Goddess of Storms that helped save the world from Te Ka."

She laughed as she started pushing the boat farther into the water with her wind. "Perhaps someday. Take care, Moana!" She waved as she sailed off, her smile mirroring Moana's as she did the same.

* * *

Lahela took a breath as she stepped off her boat. According to several sources, one of them being the Ocean, Maui was currently somewhere on this island. If only there weren't multiple miles to cover while looking for him. No giant hawks circling overhead. No voices yelling. No one talking about their own accomplishments. Overall, it was quiet without a clue where he would be.

There was no point in wasting more time though. Determined to find the demigod, she started walking off while occasionally calling out his name. Lahela felt like she had been out there for nearly an hour already. She might just wreck the place with a storm if it turned out to be the wrong place.

The goddess huffed in annoyance as she continued to stomp across the island. Suddenly, something streaked by overhead before crashing down in front of her. She yelped as she jumped back, staring at Maui.

"What in the world are you doing besides scaring all the animals?" Maui asked.

"Looking for you!" She yelled as she pointed at him. "I was told you were here but this is a big island to find you on!"

Maui simply laughed, unaffected by her yelling. "Looking for me, huh?" He raised an eyebrow at her, knowing she'd probably get flustered by his words.

"Yes," she said and crossed her arms, choosing not to say anything else.

He stepped closer as he leaned in towards her face. "And why would you be looking for me?"

"Because! You're the one that… I said I would take you up on the offer!" She looked away as she glared at a tree.

"What offer?"

"Oh, forget it." Lahela turned around to walk away. She was done letting him get her so worked up. For goodness sake, she was the goddess of storms! She didn't need to be blushing over stupid things!

Maui laughed as he grabbed her hand, halting her steps. "Just admit you missed me already."

"No."

The demigod shook his head. "Well, you're welcome to stay. At least I'll have more company than just mini-Maui."

Lahela rolled her eyes as she tried to contain her smile, though it was failing. "Good, then you're stuck with me for now. So where to?"

Maui threw his arm over her shoulder as they started walking. "Everywhere. Let's go check on that world we saved."

_~ The End_


End file.
